Valley Yarns Jabara Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Jabara Knit Hat

What Is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Jabara is an intermediate-level knit hat designed by Susan Baron. This stylish hat features a distinctive two-color wide band that wraps around the head, with a crown worked in the round. The finished hat has a circumference of approximately 21¾ inches, fitting head sizes from 21 to 23 inches. The design combines a flat-worked band with a seamless crown, creating a modern aesthetic with the option to mix and match color combinations from the available Valley Yarns Worthington palette.

Techniques Used

The Jabara employs several advanced knitting techniques that make it suitable for intermediate-level knitters. The construction begins with a two-color cable band worked flat in rows, utilizing the Two-Color Long-Tail cast-on method to seamlessly incorporate both the main color and contrasting color from the beginning. The band features slipped-stitch I-Cord edging on one side for a finished appearance. Once the band reaches the required length, the cast-on and bound-off edges are seamed together to form a loop. The crown is then worked in the round using a circular needle, with stitches picked up along the long edge of the completed band. The pattern incorporates stranded colorwork in the crown section, requiring knitters to manage two colors simultaneously while maintaining consistent gauge.

Stitches Used

The Jabara pattern utilizes fundamental and intermediate knitting stitches. The band is constructed primarily in cable stitch, which creates the textured, twisted appearance characteristic of the design. Stockinette stitch forms the base fabric, providing the smooth foundation against which the cable pattern stands out. The pattern employs slipped stitches for the decorative I-Cord edge and for managing stitches during the transition from flat to circular knitting. Purl stitches are worked on wrong-side rows, particularly when working the colorwork sections where yarn is held to the front. The crown section incorporates stranded colorwork, a technique where two colors are carried across rows to create the pattern, requiring careful tension management and color coordination.

Materials and Yarn

The Jabara is designed to be worked in Valley Yarns Worthington, a premium blend yarn composed of 50% wool, 25% alpaca, and 25% viscose. This fiber combination provides warmth, softness, and a subtle sheen. The pattern calls for two balls of Worthington—one in the main color (MC) and one in the contrasting color (CC). The sample shown uses Color 08 Blue Stone as the main color and Color 03 Driftwood as the contrasting color, though the design accommodates the full range of Worthington colors available, allowing knitters to create personalized color combinations. Each ball contains 50 grams and yields 174 yards of yarn.

Needles and Tools

Construction of the Jabara requires US size 6 (4.0 mm) needles in both circular and double-pointed needle formats. The pattern specifies a 16-inch circular needle for the crown work and double-pointed needles for the final decreases as the crown narrows. Knitters should verify their gauge and adjust needle size accordingly if necessary. Additional tools include a cable needle for executing the cable stitches in the band, a stitch marker to track pattern repeats and the beginning of rounds, and a tapestry needle for seaming the band edges together and weaving in yarn ends.

Gauge and Finished Measurements

The pattern specifies a gauge of 22 stitches and 28 rounds equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch, blocked. Achieving proper gauge is essential for this design, particularly because the pattern includes stranded colorwork sections where gauge can shift. The finished hat measures approximately 21¾ inches in circumference and is designed as one size to fit heads measuring 21 to 23 inches. The band width and crown shaping are proportioned to these measurements, making gauge verification critical before beginning the project.